Operational Excellence in Senior Care Franchising: What Sets Right at Home Apart with Rod Roberts
Duration: 28m 20s
Description:
Tuesday Talk with Right at Home Chief Franchise Operations Officer Rod Roberts
“Launching your own senior care franchise is a lot like running for mayor,” says Rod Roberts. During a recent Tuesday Talk with VP of Franchise Development Jen Cheney, Right at Home’s Chief Franchise Operations Officer explains that “you’ve got to be shaking hands and kissing babies. You’ve got to be seen and known.”
“After all,” says Roberts, “we’re in the relationship business.”
Fortunately, you’re never out there building those relationships alone. Whether you’re just getting to know your clients, creating a positive working environment for your caregivers, or tapping into the amazing resources that course through the Right at Home network, everything you do is backed by a proven model and some truly amazing people.
The RightStart Program
You’ll get to know both the model and the amazing people behind it right away through Right at Home’s structured onboarding and coaching process. The RightStart program is specifically designed to help guide new franchisees through the challenging startup stage of the operation.
Roberts explains that “we have individuals that hand-hold and walk you through those first six months of being an owner and following the model, following the checklist, having those regular calls.”
Broadly speaking, you’ll have startup coaches who work closely with you to answer questions, to provide detailed guidance, and to keep you on track toward your early goals and benchmarks. But on a more granular level, Roberts explains that coaches will help you tackle very specific challenges like how to make inroads with your client community; how to recruit, train, and retain caregivers; and how to handle the administrative tasks of running a business.
“Once you get to that point,” says Roberts, “you’ve got a regional manager that is working with you and guiding you.”
Client and Caregiver Acquisition
Your franchise will ultimately be built on two things–a community of clients and a team of compassionate and dedicated caregivers. Right from the outset, you will be focused on building both. Fortunately, says Roberts, a rapidly-growing demand for in-home care services is helping to drive robust client acquisition for franchisees across the Right at Home network.
“There is no better time to be in the in-home care business,” says Roberts. “With Baby Boomers now reaching the age that we start to take care of them, there’s no better time than now to be with a company like Right at Home…It’s just continuing to grow and develop.”
But Roberts acknowledges that this growth does create a persistent challenge for franchise owners. “The client base is there,” he explains. “I think the biggest focus right now is getting the right people to care for them, and I think that will continue to be true. That’s our product. That’s our supply. We want to continue to recruit and retain those people.”
The Ins and Outs of Right at Home Performance Groups
So how do franchisees navigate these challenges? The short answer is–together. As franchise owners, we are stronger when we support each other. That’s the philosophy behind Right at Home’s Performance Groups.
Structure and Purpose
A Performance Group will typically be made up of 10 franchise owners, as well as a facilitator who provides coaching and support. Roberts says your Performance Group is kind of like your own executive board. “You meet twice a year in person and twice a year on a Zoom call,” says Roberts.
Performance Groups are assembled with careful consideration to personal compatibility. Franchise owners are often linked, not because of geography, but because of personal chemistry. “We want to make sure we have that connection where you feel good about the people you’re working with,” says Roberts.
Of course, participation in Performance Groups is voluntary. That said, Roberts reports that a majority of franchisees in the network are involved in a Group, and that it’s fairly easy to get into one.
Considering their accessibility, and the fact that “people who are involved in these performance groups outperform the people who are not in these groups—why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that?”
The Secret to Scaling a Franchise Business
To the point, Roberts gives Performance Groups a lot of credit for helping ambitious franchisees scale their operations. Participants often walk away from Performance Group meetings with clear goals, a greater sense of their progress toward certain benchmarks, and all kinds of insights from fellow franchisees who understand their challenges and share their everyday concerns.
“So you get a lot of insight from Performance Groups,” says Roberts, “on what you need to do to help improve your business. I would challenge you to leave a meeting and not have two or three nuggets that would improve your business and pay for your trip.”
The proof is in the numbers. Roberts notes that Performance Group participants “see approximately 20% more [revenue] than people who are not in a group. So their revenue increases accordingly. And again, they’re engaged in the business, they’re getting new ideas, and they’re able to see that growth.”
Performance Groups as Accountability Circles
Roberts points out that Performance Groups are particularly valuable for helping to keep franchisees accountable to themselves. The transparency and shared learning that take place at Performance Group meetings naturally foster a collegial sense that, even though each of us is an independent business owner, we are in this together.
As Roberts explains, during both Zoom and in-person Performance Group meetings, “you really have the chance to share your business, share your numbers, share what you’re doing, share your organizational structure, all the things that make up the business.”
This exercise gives you an opportunity to report your progress to a group of your peers, and motivates you to make yet further progress before the next time you meet.
Corporate Engagement
It also helps to see that the commitment to Performance Groups goes to the highest levels with Right at Home. Roberts notes that “our CEO, and a lot of our other executives, attend these meetings…So that tells you something right there.”
It tells you that the commitment to progress, accountability, and support extends to every part of the Right at Home network, from your dedicated team of caregivers, to your fellow franchisees, to the coaches and leaders at corporate. This shared commitment is ultimately the secret to success with Right at Home, both for individual franchisees and for our network in general. When you combine this commitment with the proven Right at Home model, the sky is the limit.
“It’s a great business,” Roberts says. “You have a lot of opportunity. But do it for the right reasons … if you come in with that kind of passion, then you have a system that is a good recipe for success.”
NEXT SCHEDULED TALK:
August 12, 2025 at 2 pm CST
Coaching Support with Kiley Drog, Business Performance Coach
Register Here:
https://rightathome.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CT5quJ71Tjyh49dlbJzASw
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